Heart Shaped Glasses
by NarcissusXIII
Summary: Formerly known as Ruby494! Don't break, don't break my heart and I won't break your heart shaped glasses-MM. All it took was one trip to a muggle amusement park for him to realize he loved her, but did he love her enough to leave. OOC. TOH!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is set at the beginning of book 5 (Order of the Phoenix) and please review, I'd love to know what you think of the idea and/or my writing. **

**Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing the characters from HP for a bit but they belong to the amazing JKR.**

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**Hermione's POV

I always expected his skin would be cold to the touch, like ice. It only seemed natural, I mean, you could practically see the frost on the floor from where he had stepped. We were all required to dress in black robes but his appeared unnaturally black and seemed to lack any of the warmth the thick material usually provided. His pale skin did not look unhealthy though it gave no indication of being soft and warm. The features of his face were sharp and angular and did nothing to minimize his cold demeanor. His piercing gray eyes lay slightly hidden behind long strands of platinum blonde hair, shielding the world from his icy stare.

Eyes, the window to the soul, the one thing most people would agree to being one of the most beautiful features of a person, showing true emotion, yet his were different. They were beautiful, there was no denying that, but they had changed over the years, more guarded. As cold as he was his eyes had always held a fire that could be seen when he was excited or enraged. Giving it a moment of thought I realized it had been quite a while since I had seen any spark in his eyes. It explained why he seemed so cold lately, or colder then usual anyway. Other emotions could be seen, though it was hard to tell what they were because of the sheet of hair covering them. Maybe that was his intention, a way to keep people from being able to read him. Once or twice I was sure I could see fear in his eyes but he would shake his head and the hair would cover them more. I pondered over this for another few minutes, wondering what had happened, what would make him change. Whenever I would catch a glimpse of him walking the halls of Hogwarts, which was becoming less often, he looked more angry and hateful then he did months ago. Was this just a cover for the fear he was really feeling? I didn't know the answer and I didn't know why I was suddenly wasting quality study time thinking about him. The only thing I seem to know at this moment is warmth of Draco Malfoy's touch.

I leaned back into my chair, abandoning all pretense of studying, and let myself think of something besides the books laying open in front of me. Dropping my pencil I studied my hand, the one Malfoy had touch earlier today. It was by complete accident of course, we hadn't even realized that we were in the same room let alone right next to each other. I just placed my hand on the last book I needed for my report when I felt someone's hand close over mine. I had turned just in time to see Malfoy's eyes, wide in shock, narrow then he muttered something before walking away. I just stood there in shock for a few seconds before shaking my head and pulling the book off the shelf. His hand was so warm, his touch was feather soft but his hand was strong. Being completely honest, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about it, I wasn't sure if I wanted to too. But this is Draco bloody Malfoy after all, the rational side of my brain screamed at me, the foul creature that called you a mudblood and constantly made life hell for you and your friends. His father's a Death Eater who tries to kill Harry time and time again, he's a follower of Voldemort and it's only a matter of time before he becomes a Death Eater as well. And you've decided to look past all this because he has a warm hand, this is ridiculous, get a grip on yourself Hermione.

Taking a deep breath I dropped my head into my hands, I could feel a headache starting to form, I needed to get my mind off him. Deciding to relocate I quickly ran through my options, it was much too cold to go outside, the common room was off limits because due to the cold weather most Gryffindors were there avoiding homework. My room obviously wouldn't do, seeing as how I've accomplished nothing in the past hour. Gathering my books I decided the library was my best (and well, my only) option, hopefully the amount of books would help me concentrate on my work rather then remind me of a certain blonde Slytherin.

The hall were mostly empty as I made my way to the library, and upon entering it I noticed it was even emptier. When I didn't recognize anyone I felt a pang of disappointment, Malfoy was obviously not here. Just as I was trying to understand why I was upset that the loathsome cockroach was no where to be seen I felt someone's warm breath on my neck.

"Hoping to find me here Granger?"

I turned to face the tall form of Draco Malfoy. He was looking down at me, his mouth pulled into a tight smirk, amusement and hatred both apparent on his flawless face.

"Quite the opposite Malfoy, I was hoping you would be elsewhere and I could study in peace."

"Then what were you looking for?" He questioned, pulling his eyebrows together and relaxing his smirk in mock curiosity.

"I was trying to find an empty table to sit at." I replied with the first answer that came to my mind. Malfoy's eyes lifted from me to scan the large room then settled back on my face. Grinning and without a word, he walked over to the nearest table, raised his hand and proceeded to tap the air with his index finger. I watched curiously as he then lowered his head and said in a soft voice, but loud enough for me to hear.

"Excuse me sir, would you and you friends mind moving for this young lady here, it seems the rest of the library is full and she has no where to study in peace."

I could feel myself blush profusely as I stood there at a loss for words. Malfoy was now doubled over, laughing hysterically, as I turned on my heel and dashed out of the library. Just as I was nearing the Gryffindor tower I heard footsteps behind me, then Malfoy calling my name. I stopped, against my better judgement, and turned around, my cheeks still slightly pink.

"I thought you wanted to study?" he asked, catching up to me, still grinning.

"Which is why I'm returning to my room." I rolled my eyes and turned to leave, wishing I was already back in the comfort of the tower.

"I won't be in the library tomorrow." He said as I began to walk away.

"What?"

"Well tomorrow's Saturday, I never go to the library on Saturdays, Sundays yes, but never Saturday, just thought I should let you know so you don't waste half you day waiting for me to show."

"I don't care if you're in the library or not, actually no, I'd prefer if you weren't."

"Right," He took a step towards me, lowering his head and his voice. "I'll see you Sunday Granger." He finished, giving me a cocky smile, a smile that reached his eyes for just a second, before turning and proceeding back down the hall, leaving me stunned and very confused. After a moment I shook my head both mentally and physically and continued towards Gryffindor tower, unable to understand what had just happened. Boys.

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**A/N: A thanks to my sister for helping me with Draco and his reaction to Hermione saying she was looking for an empty table to study at, she my inspiration for anything funny. **

**If people seem interested in this fanfic I'll try to update as often as possible, please review and let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: just borrowing, going to return at some point **

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Draco POV

Surprisingly, I wasn't lying when I said I would see her on Sunday. I realize this was forbidden, to be fraternizing with the enemy, but I honestly couldn't bring myself to care. As much as I despised Granger I couldn't help but be fascinated by her, then again, how could I not? She was intimidated by nothing so it seemed, and it took very little time for everyone to realize she was not one to pushed. I remember telling her what she learned in school would be useless out in the real world, when standing in the face of danger, when really she was better prepared then anyone. She stood alongside Potter year after year as they were victorious against the attempts of the Dark Lord. As if that wasn't enough, she was easily the smartest witch of the age, it took her only a few attempts to understand and preform a new spell, none of which she ever forgot.

I continued to mull over the thought of Granger as I descended the stairs to the Slytherin dungeon. I slipped inside the common room, giving a quick nod to whoever was sitting on the black leather sofas, and made my way to my room. The large room was empty so I pulled back the deep green curtain of my four poster bed and threw a couple of pillows against the headboard. Grabbing a few schoolbooks off the floor I settled down opening up my grade 5 Transfigurations book, preparing to read Monday's chapter. Very few people knew how much time I actually dedicated to my schoolwork, most just assumed I had 'Daddy' pay off the professors somehow, which was not possible while Dumbledore was the headmaster. Not that I needed him to, I had always achieved excellent marks in all subjects, and currently stood second in my grade, in first place was, of course, Granger. I continued to work until the early hours of the morning, well after my roommates had retired to bed, finally becoming tired I tossed the books, put out my light and gave into sleep.

Saturday past uneventfully, not that it bothered me, I spent the day wrapped in my thoughts. I was not becoming the man my father envisioned, I did not hate the way he did, I did not always agree with what he did, and most importantly, I did not want to join the Dark Lord . But I must, it is either that or death, and this life may be my own personal hell but I do not want to die. I had never loved my father but I had always done what I was told, acted exactly as he wanted but the pressure since the Dark Lord's rising was unbearable. There was nothing but fear and the eagerness to please in the heart of each Death Eater, and that was future I had to look forward to. Thoughts of this consumed my mind, I could think of nothing else, and I began keeping everyone at a distance, slowly pushing them away. Why not, they would all leave soon, for that was the life of a Death Eater, they had no one, trusted no one and put their lives at the feet of the Dark Lord. And so everyone started to fall away, exactly as they were suppose to, except for one unexpected witch. Granger, her dislike of me was obvious, but we brought out a fire in one another that was impossible to ignore. We argued as easily as we breathed, and I found myself completely engrossed in our arguments, unable to think of anything else, to think of things I'd rather not. And so she became my wonderful distraction.

Sunday came and I found myself sitting at a large table near the back of the library surrounded by piles of Potions books. It was early, shortly after nine, and not expecting Granger for a few more hours, I decided to finish a particularly nasty essay Snape had given us due later next week. It was almost one when I finished the essay, and glanced around the room to see her sitting at the table across from my own, her back towards me. A small smirk pulled at the corner of my mouth as I thought back to how she had looked our first year, a chuckle escaped my lips as I remembered her frizzy hair, slightly buck teeth and how scrawny she was. Had I not been there to witness the past five years I would never have guessed the girl sitting across from me was that same girl. The long dark curls cascading down her back now smooth and shiny, her scrawny frame exchanged for her delicate and curvy body. She had an amazing smile, though I only ever seen it from a distance, and beautiful brown eyes, cliche I realize, but it really was the only way to describe her. Even if she was a Gryffindor bookworm.

Shutting the book that was currently in her hands she stood, reaching across the table and placing several books in her arms, then walked towards the aisle of books against the back wall. Without realizing what I was doing, I dropped my quill and followed her. I turned into the last aisle to see her standing on tiptoes, struggling to slide a book into its proper place, walking over quietly I took it from her hand. A small gasp escaped her lips, obviously not hearing me approach, and turned her head sharply, the look of surprise on her face quickly turning to one of annoyance. My smirk widen slightly as I easily slid the book into place, I was a good six inches taller then her, probably more. We continued to stand there, my body hardly an inch from hers, she gave me a questioning look before her eyes left my face and settled on the row of books in front of her. She seemed to be over the moment as she scanned the rows and began pulling books into her arms.

"What do you want Malfoy?"

"A thank you would be a nice start, don't you think." I answered, crossing my arms and leaning against the shelf. She stopped reading through the titles and looked over her shoulder at me, eyebrows raised, giving a look that clearly said 'And what the bloody hell would have to thank you for?'

"The book." I replied, giving a quick nod in the general direction of the shelf. "So it didn't fall on your head and do any damage to that precious little brain."

"Are you serious?" She spat.

"Yes Granger, didn't your muggle parents teach you to say thank you after someone has done something nice for you?" Her cheeks reddened slightly as she momentarily turned her face away from me. Anger can be attractive, and at this moment she was wearing it very well, her eyes connected with mine and she was quiet for a moment before speaking softly.

"Thank you."

"There now, that wasn't too difficult, was it?" By this point my smirk had become a cocky grin. This entertained me to no end, all it took was a few choice words and I had her riled and wanting to curse my head into oblivion.

"Why must you always be such an ass?"

"Sorry, what was that Granger, all I heard was something about my ass...?" I raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Oh for Merlin's Sake Malfoy, get over yourself!"

The words hardly left her lips before I my hands closed over her shoulders, pressing her back against the shelves. The books kept our chests from meeting but I could feel her erratic breathing pushing the hard covers into my chest. Her eyes were wide in shock as they met mine and she visibly shallowed. Our lips were only inches apart, and slowly, very slowly I started to close the distance between them. At the last second I leaned my head to the side and whispered.

"I am, it's you I can't get over." With that I let her go and walked away, only one thought going through my mind, 'Shit'.

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**A/N: please review, I'd really like to know what everyone thinks**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ok, to anyone reading this story I am sooooooo sorry that it took me so long to update! My sister accidentally broke my laptop and I had to send it out to be fix and only just got it back, it took forever and a day. I found out in that time that I can only write on my computer, not on another computer or paper, so, no update. Anyway here's the next chapter, I'm hoping to have the next one up by the end of next week to make up for the last few months. Again, let me know what you think, it's been so long since I wrote anything this might suck lol. Anywho, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: just borrowing, not mine, please don't sue, I had to use all my money to fix my computer!**

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Hermione's POV

3 days later

The thick cover of each book was pressed hard into my back promising to leave deep bruises though I hardly notice, I was too distracted by the hand on my leg. Moving leisurely from my knee it slipped under my skirt and continued to ascend my thigh at a painfully slow pace. The tips of his strong, callused fingers left a burning trail where they had touched my smooth skin. Another hand roughly grabbed my other thigh and I suddenly found my legs wrapped around the torso of the owner of the hands. My back was slammed into the bookshelf again, harder this time, but all I could feel were his lips against mine, more demanding then before. My arms had found their way around his neck and I pulled him closer, though I doubted that was possible, to find myself only wanting him more.

His hands were everywhere, as if his goal was to touch every inch of my body. I moaned into the kiss and dropped my hands to his chest, feeling the smooth, hard muscles beneath his clothes. I continued moving my hands down until I found the edge of his shirt and gave it a sharp tug, causing him to immediately release my lips and chuckle at my demanding action. Opening my eyes I caught the combination of amusement and lust in his stormy grey ones, his mouth pulled into a small, but still cocky, smirk. Only when he took the shirt from my hands did I realize my blouse was unbuttoned but his lips returned before I could remember when it had happened. My arms escaped the confines of my shirt and wrapped themselves around his neck once more, my hands tangling in his platinum hair.

Next came the clicking of his belt and the soft thud as it, along with his pants fell to the floor. His hands were at my skirt again, pushing it up to my waist, my panties pulled to the side and he placed himself against my waiting entrance. I pulled my mouth away from his and let one word fall from my lips.

"MEEEEOOOOOW!"

It took me a moment before I realized that I had thrown myself upright from my bed with enough force that I catapulted poor Crookshanks onto the floor. Immediately he upright and trotting towards the door, pausing long enough to throw a glare back at me and make a noise that was somewhere between a hiss and a growl. I fell back into my bed, breathing heavy and slightly shaking. It was only a dream, it was only a dream, I repeated to myself while horrified that I would dream such a thing and worst still . . . with Draco Malfoy.

What in the bloody hell is wrong with me? Groaning loudly, I rolled onto my stomach and tried to mentally delete the images of that stupid dream. Within minutes it became obvious that sleep would take its time getting back to me, so I removed myself from my bed and made my way to the shower. Discarding my nightgown, I stepped into the hot water, relishing in the immediate effects it had on my mind and body.

It was absurd, I realize, after all I hadn't actually done anything with Malfoy, but the feeling of his hands on my body was still fresh in my mind, I couldn't touch my own skin. Placing my hands on either wall of the shower I let the water slowly wash away the events of tonight. After what felt like minutes, but was probably an hour, I reluctantly turned the water off, stepped out of the shower and returned to bed.

I woke the next morning to find myself muttering about stupid teenage hormones, deciding that it was the only logical explanation for that bloody dream. After all, it wasn't my fault I was a teenage girl, I never ask to be, and I certainly hadn't asked for these hormones and the mess that came with them. And Malfoy, as much as I hated to admit it, is physically attractive, no matter how much of a little evil cockroach his is. Therefore, what happened last night wasn't my fault at all, I am very much a victim of these insufferable hormones.

Realizing I was about to leave my room while wearing two different shoes and holding the wrong books, I decided to stop my mental babbling, seeing as it was more distracting then helpful. I rushed down the stairs to the Great Hall for breakfast, avoiding the eyes of anyone I passed, knowing full well that there was no way they could possibly know what had happened in my head last night but the worry was hard to shake.

The day past quickly and quietly, and by some miracle I had not seen or heard Malfoy. I spent most of my time between classes wondering if I should make a Dreamless Sleep potion to ensure I did not have a repeat of last night, which turned out to be a waste of time. The mountain of homework we had been assigned promised to keep us busy until bed, luckily the Gryffindor quidditch team didn't have a practice scheduled for tonight.

After supper I retired to the boisterous Gryffindor common room, unsure if I could concentrate on my work in the library after defiling it in my dream last night. Harry and Ron instantly became curious as to why I was here instead of shutting myself away in my quiet sanctuary, and this, of course, would be the time they take notice, stupid boys.

"To make sure you two do your work instead of goofing around all evening. I already told you, I'm not letting you copy my work anymore, and I don't want you to fail. Now get your books."

"But you never work down here." Ron argued, still in shock I had my books opened in the noisy room.

"I'm quiet aware of that, Ronald. Now sit!"

"Oh come on, we'll get our work done, you don't have to babysit us, we're not five-" Immediately Ron stopped talking once he saw the glare I'd thrown at him and he fell into the nearest chair, opened his book and began digging around for a quill. Exhaling with a sharp huff I returned my attention back to the book before me, catching Harry sit on the chair beside me in my peripheral vision.

"You know, Hermione" Harry began cautiously, "We could go to the library with you and study where it's quiet." It took a moment before I could respond to him, inventing a lie that was probably more truth.

"No, Madam Pince hovers too much when you and Ron are there, its distracting." I replied, hoping it was the end of the discussion.

Catching Harry and Ron share a '_what the bloody hell is her problem_' look, causing me to roll my eyes before settling back into my homework. There was no way I was taking the chance that Malfoy might be in the library, it was already hard enough not knowing what was happening between us, let alone having Harry and Ron witness it. I will simply avoid the library and anywhere I'm sure Malfoy might be until I find a way to control, if not destroy, these irrational hormones. And with that, I put all thoughts of Malfoy and the library out of my head, with the false confidence that by the end of the week everything would be back to the way it should.

Third Person's POV

Sitting in the back of the library, alone, was Draco Malfoy impatiently waiting for a certain brunette Gryffindor to appear. Finally, when the library was about to close, he slammed the last book shut with a loud THUMP, earning a glare from the librarian as he past through the large doors. Descending the stairs, he made his way to the Slytherin dungeon, passing only a handful of people along the way. Turning past the Great Hall, he noticed someone at the end of the corridor, slowly walking towards him. Silently praying it wasn't Pansy, Draco continued walking until he heard the person speak very quietly.

"Crookshanks, come here."

Crookshanks, he thought, isn't that the name..is that..Granger?

Then he saw it, the fluffy ginger cat had stopped right in front of him. Bending down, he scratched the cat's head and it began to purr, which reminded Draco greatly of something that was broken. Hearing Granger approach, he scooped the cat up in his arms and held it out to her which she took with a look of utter confusion on her face. Her eyes locked with his for a moment as she readied herself for an insult that did not come.

"Thank you." she mouthed rather then she spoke, as she clutched the cat to her chest.

He replied to her with a simple nod, then continued on his way to the Slytherin dorm, leaving a very perplexed Hermione behind him.

Again, he thought to himself how this, whatever you would call what was happening between him and Granger, was not acceptable, unforgivable, but then again who was Draco Malfoy to be told what to do.

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**Please review, I really want to know what you think, thanks so much!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone, I wanted to get this up before my birthday tomorrow b/c I wouldn't have time, so anyway here you go, hope you like it, let me know!**

**Disclaimer: not mine, all I own is my computer!**

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Draco's POV

The letter from my father was still clutched tightly in my fist as I stepped into the Slytherin common room, feeling the heads of the occupants instantly turn in my direction. There were a few people who mumbled greetings to me, I ignored them. Opening the door to my bedroom I found it was not empty, Blaise was laying, stomach down, on the floor with his head under his bed as he flung various objects across the room. Rolling my eyes, I closed the door and made my way over to him, leaning against the post of his bed.

""What are you doing, Zabini?"

This was followed by a loud _crunch_, as Blaise's head collided with one of the wooden beams of the bed, and him muttering a few choice words. Pulling the upper half of his body out from under the bed, he shot me a glare before returning his attention back to the object in his hands, only to throw it, too, across the room.

"I should hex you for that." He muttered, as he began adding clothes from a pile on the floor to the mess around the room.

"But you won't." I assured him. It was a few minutes before either of us spoke again.

"Decided to talk to me today, have you?" He asked with a touch of anger in his voice, still rummaging through the pile.

"I talk to you." I lied.

"A nod doesn't count, Draco." He replied, throwing several dirty robes over his shoulder.

"So what is that you're looking for anyway?" I asked, changing the topic.

"Oh, this spell that Marcus found the other day, I wrote it down and I don't remember where I put it." He answered, sounding friendlier then I know he felt.

"What does it do?" I couldn't stop my mouth from pulling up in a half smirk, genuinely curious.

"Who knows, but there's a group of first years in the common room and I'm going to try it on them." Giving up on the pile, he turned to me with a grin on his face, and began digging through a stack of parchment that look as though he had already searched it.

"Hey Blaise?"

"Yeah?" He said, not looking up from the papers.

"Did you think to summon it?" I asked, already knowing he hadn't, I could hardly keep the smugness out of my voice. Blaise immediately ripped his head from the papers and threw me a glare.

"Bloody hell, accio spell." He said a little too forcefully as a book came flying across the room and hit him in back of the head. "Shit!" I tried not to laugh but failed miserably at the look on Blaise's face, shocked, terrified, confused, it was priceless. With one hand he gingerly touched his head while the other hand picked up the book and began flipping through it. Somewhere near the middle he found an old bit of parchment with a single word scribbled on it.

"Finally!" He shouted triumphantly, kicked the rest of his belongings under the bed and made his was towards the door. I just stood there against his bed, chuckling to myself before pushing off the post and walking to my side of the room, still very much aware of the parchment in my hand. Before I could sit down and finish digesting the contents of the letter, Blaise stopped at the door and turned to me.

"Crabbe and Goyle are going to be pissed." I said, gesturing to their beds which were covered in Blaise's mess. He simply shrugged.

"It's not going to work, Draco."He said abruptly, not bothering to explain. I understood everything he said without him ever speaking the words. It's the reason why keeping him at a distance was incredibly hard to do, he knew me too well. It was that connection we had, that unbreakable loyalty to one another that he reminded me of in those few words. I had caught him looking at the parchment in my hand, but as curious as he was, he never asked what it was. At the same time, he might not want to know, Blaise was smart, knowing when to not become involved. Maybe this was the reason he was giving me the space I required, or maybe because he could think of no other way to help me, maybe it was mix of the two. Still he allowed the distance, as long as I understood that nothing I did would completely sever that connection.

I gave him a simple nod and he left, closing the door behind him and leaving me with the letter in my hands. Pulling my wand from my robe, I held it just below the parchment and whispered 'Incendio'. I watched the tiny flame jumped from the tip of my wand and slowly climb the parchment, greedily burning more as it grew. Within minutes the letter was gone, swallowed by the dancing flame, as though it never existed. I sat on the bed, running my hands through my hair, slightly relieved that no one would be able to read it now. Since breakfast this morning I had thought of nothing but that stupid letter, unable to forget about it for even a moment.

Exhaling deeply, I pulled my legs onto the mattress and leaned back against the pole at the end of my bed. My gaze wandered lazily around the room, talking in the green and silver decor, the mess Blaise had left, and the personal touches of my roommates had made to the room, before settling on the window.

It was a dark, starless night, as though someone had covered the sky in a large, black quilt. The only things that could be seen were a few small flames from the windows of the tower, each cutting a long, yellow rectangle in the black sky. The Gryffindor tower. I found myself wondering if Granger was in one of those rooms with that stupid cat of hers.

I couldn't help but chuckle when I thought of her cat, it was such an ugly thing, with it's wiry fur and squashed face. And the sound that it made when I scratched it's head, I could only assume it was purring, though it sounded much like a one of those muggle vehicles gone wrong. Of course, she would love that little beast while everyone else would ignore it, it was just so typically Granger.

In the few minutes I spent thinking of Granger and her ugly cat, I had completely forgotten about the letter I had just destroyed. I had a few blissful moments where I felt the tension leave and my body relax, I could let my mind wander to such amusing thoughts. This is why I had spent most of my evening in the library waiting for her, she had a way of making me forget the things I'd rather not think of. Everyone and everything could somehow be a reminder of the future I wasn't ready to face, except her. Yes, she was in the golden trio with the other two idiots, but she hadn't done anything to me, well, besides punch me third year. Potter was the reason for the Dark Lord and the madness that came with him, the reason for the plans and the orders and the anger. Then Weasley, his family is a constant thorn in father's side, they're a constant headache, and Weasel here is no different. But, Granger is just another muggle born witch in a sea of muggle born.

Thinking of Granger could only keep father's words out of my head for so long, eventually the contents of the letter consumed my thoughts and Granger was forgotten like so many other things. I lay awake until the late hours of the morning, after everyone else had gone to bed, and the long yellow rectangles of the Gryffindor tower had disappeared.

It was originally planned that I would leave next year to carry out the plan the Dark Lord had for me, now I was to leave in a few months. They had devised a new plan, a better plan that must be put to action immediately, according to my very pleased father. Eventually I gave into sleep, deciding I would spend my last few months here pissing my father off in every way possible, starting with Granger.

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**A/N: so I was thinking, means it's my birthday tomorrow and I put this up early for all of you, it would be great to get reviews as presents!! (hint hint)thanks so much!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Ok, I don't know what happened last chapter, apparently I posted it then it posted itself again the next day??? Sorry to anyone who received two alerts, hopefully it won't happen again.**

**So last chapter I got a review from Hermioneroxx77, saying s/he liked the chapter but it was short, so I made this chapter longer for you, and they will continue to be about this long, maybe longer. I'm going to try to update this time again next week but with bigger chapters it will take a little longer. Thanks for your reviews Hermioneroxx77 and everyone else, and thanks for the birthday wishes!! And please let me know what you think, I really look forward to any suggestions. **

**Disclaimer: I almost forgot this thing. Not mine, I'm not creative enough, I just "borrow" the ideas and play around. **

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Hermione's POV

2 Days Later (Friday)

"Absolutely unbelievable." I muttered to myself as I stormed down the corridor, taking a right towards the library. "I can't believe I sat there an hour because of him, this is completely absurd."

I was furious with myself. I had wasted a perfectly good hour sitting on the stairs to the Gryffindor dorms contemplating, whether or not I should go to the library, because he might be there. Because he might be there. Just 'might', not 'he will' or even 'he's most likely there', no because he 'might'. It was pathetic really, but I felt like trying to stop Voldemort was easier then dealing with Malfoy. At least then I had Harry and Ron, not to mention half a dozen other people I could talk to. But how could I explain any of this to them without sounding completely mad. 'Harry, I've been dreaming of Malfoy almost every night now, very erotic dreams actually, and I was just wondering what you think I should do?' or 'Yes Ron, I have been avoiding the library because Malfoy might be there. You see, last time I was there he shoved me against the bookshelf and my books were the only thing keeping his body from pressing into mine, his lips merely inches from my own. And I haven't decided if I secretly want it to happen again, or if it's just my teenage body betraying me.' Yes, I can imagine that would go over very well. And I just couldn't tell Ginny or one of the other girls, I knew they were sure to either get angry with me. Most of the other girls in knew wouldn't be able to keep this a secret, to be perfectly honest, they're nice girls, just not trustworthy. Professors are obviously out of the question, I'd never waste their time with this, leaving me with no one to talk to. The isolation only made me feel more exasperated.

"Ugh, that's it, if he's in- Get that rubbish out of the hall this instant!" I ordered, unleashing my irritation on a group of second years, who had a couple games of wizards chess scattered over the floor. Immediately the kids began packing away the rubbish, a couple of them throwing glares over their shoulders as they hurried down the hall.

A deep, familiar chuckle met me as I stepped through the doors of the library. Taking a deep breath, I tried not to become more irritated then I currently was, and within five seconds, failed miserably.

"Who pissed in your porridge, Granger?" I could hear the smugness in his voice.

"Piss." I said, punctuating the word by slamming a book on the table.

"Off." Slam.

"Now." Slam.

"Malfoy."I finished by slamming the last of the books, still refusing to look at him.

"Miss Granger. Please." The librarian hushed me, poking her head out from between the bookshelves.

"Sorry, Madam Pince." I whispered back to her, before turning to face Malfoy. "This is all your fault." I spat at him, as I ripped the chair out from under the table and threw myself into it. Grabbing whatever book was nearest me, I flipped it open rather violently and began leafing through the pages with more force then necessary. From the corner of my eye I saw Malfoy slide into a chair on the other side of the table, and I decided to ignore him, focusing my attention on homework instead.

It didn't take long for the quiet, comfortable atmosphere of the library to calm me, all thoughts seemed to float away with each turn of the page. The long, smooth pages of parchment, some slightly browning at the edges, tattooed in bold, black ink. Hundreds of pages bound inside hard or paper coverings, born out of the idea of man, surviving long after its maker's gone. I was always a bit envious of the knowledge the books had, to be born knowing so much. The rich scent of each book filled the room, giving the library its own unique perfume, it was such a soft and comforting smell. Somewhere between comfort of the library and the attention required by my homework, I had managed to forget about the platinum-blonde cockroach sitting across from me. Hours passed, and the only thing that could be heard was the rustle of turning pages or the soft scratching of a quill.

"What did you get for Snape's fifth question?"

I jumped slightly, as the sound of his voice ripped me from my thoughts, my eye's setting on his face.

"W-what?" I managed, slightly confused and still a bit shocked that I had forgotten he was here. He exhaled deeply before repeating himself.

"The assignment Snape gave us, did you answer the fifth question yet?" His tone was casual, maybe a slight bit irritated at having to ask the same question twice, but it was almost impossible to detect. He wore a expression of fatigue mixed with a pinch of boredom on his face, but that was to be expected when working on an assignment of Snape's. The silky strands of his platinum hair were pushed out of his eyes and were now sitting messily over his right eyebrow, probably from running his hands through it while concentrating. He was slouching into the chair, the open book sitting on his stomach, propped up against the edge of the table. His arms crossed loosely over his chest, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up casually, just below his elbow, exposing his lean forearms. His robe had been tossed careless onto the table, surrounded by half a dozen open books and pieces of parchment. He looked at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.

"You're doing homework?" I questioned, partly stunned, without realizing the words had fallen from my lips. He chuckled quietly.

"What gave me away?" He teased, the fatigue becoming obvious in his voice. His mouth pulled into an unrecognizable smirk, one that was not calculating, devious and cocky, rather bemused and light hearted. When I remained silent, he continued.

"I'll take that as a no, then?" He said, turning back to his book, the smirk still on his face.

"Oh," I blinked repeatedly, trying to clear my head.

"Um, no actually, I haven't even started it yet." I finally answered, unable to understand why were suddenly being so civil to each other.

"Well, don't be too eager, feels as though he might actually be trying to get us to kill ourselves with this one." He glanced over at me, rolling his eyes dramatically before reaching across the table for another book.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, I giggled.

I had actually giggled at something Malfoy said. He actually said something I found funny, and I giggled at it. Unbelievable.

At the sound, he immediately glanced in my direction, his smirk widening, possibly because of the bewildered look on my face. Thankfully, we slipped back into a comfortable silence but I remained ultra aware of his presence, his every movement, his breathing pattern. He pulled his eyebrows together, very tightly, when he was confused, rolled his eyes when he felt irritated and ran his hands through his hair quite often when he felt either of these emotions. Never sitting still for long, he constantly moved from slouching in his chair to leaning his most of his upper body over the table. He always looked rather smug after finding an answer to one of Snape's questions, though he looked almost livid until he found it. At some point I had abandoned my homework and simply sat there studying Malfoy, my eyes locked onto his form. He must have gotten that strange feeling of being watched because he looked up at me from under his lashes, his eyes curious.

"What are you doing?" I snapped at him, started to feel irritated again.

"Reading." He spoke slowly, pronouncing the word very clearly, as though I wouldn't understand if he said it too fast. The smirk threatening to pull up the corners of his mouth.

"No. What are you doing here?" I asked while trying to restrain myself from slapping him.

"Studying." He replied just as slow, if not slower then before. Bringing my hand up to pinch the bridge of my nose, I exhaled deeply before trying again.

"No Malfoy. What are you doing sitting at the same table as I am, doing your work and not insulting me into the next century?" For a moment, I thought I saw a mixture of sadness and anger flash across his eyes, but it was gone before I could be certain.

"There's been a lot of..um, stuff, happening lately, and it's made me look at things a little differently." His voice was hardly more then a whisper when he spoke, his smile tightened slightly.

I didn't reply, his answer had been so unexpected and out of character, I just returned to my work and the scratching of his quill told me he had done the same. It was shortly after that Madam Pince announced the library was about to close and began ushering students from the room. As I began gathering my things, I noticed I accomplished about half of what I came here to do, while Malfoy was almost done. Before exiting the library I said a quick goodnight to Madam Pince then started walking down the hall towards the Gryffindor tower.

"You walk fast for someone so short." Malfoy said, catching me in few steps.

"I'm not short, I'm average height I'll have you know. Besides, you're unnaturally tall." I teased, keeping my fast pace. I looked over at him, the top of my head hardly clearing his shoulder, his chest shaking in silent laughter. This was a completely different side of Malfoy, a side very few people ever seen, and by some bizarre twist of fate, he was showing it to me. It was unbelievable stupid and probably just overactive teenage hormones but, for some reason, it made me feel special. I decided to forget that he's Draco Malfoy and I'm Hermione Granger. To forget he's a Slytherin, while I'm a Gryffindor. That he's a pureblood and I'm a muggle born. That he's an arrogant, selfish, lying, rude, irritating ferret and I'm kind of...bossy, and a bit over achieving, maybe just a little emotional. Tonight they were just two people, walking, their playful banter interrupting the quiet of the castle.

"So...are you going Hogsmeade next weekend?" Malfoy asked, attempting a casual conversation, while pulling his robe on.

"Um, yeah, are you?" I replied, becoming genuinely curious as to what he does in Hogsmeade.

"Yeah, kind of wish I was staying though."

"Why?" I asked, genuinely perplexed, unable to think if anyone who didn't like visiting the village.

"We have a quidditch match the next weekend, I'd rather be here practicing, Merlin knows, some of them need it." He finished with a laugh, shaking his head at the thought of his teammates.

"So you really like quidditch then?" I was always so sure he was just on the team to brag, it never once crossed my mind that enjoyed the game.

"Love it." He answered, grinning down at me, "Even if some people think don't think I have any talent."

"I never said you don't have talent, I just said you bought your way onto the team." I could feel my cheeks starting to warm, which made him laugh.

"I didn't." He clarified, "The brooms were a gift for making the team."

"How was I suppose to know!" I shot back defensibly, starting to laugh as well.

"I don't know, ask?" He managed to reply, laughing harder still.

"Oh, shut up Malfoy." Was my automatic response, slightly embarrassed.

"Come on Granger, don't get angry because you can't fly." He teased.

"I can too, fly." I snapped back playfully.

"I've seen you, you only fly during classes, and even then you can hardly stay on your broom." He argued.

"You just said fly, not fly well. Besides that's technically flying." I countered.

We continued our banter until we were just down the hall from the Gryffindor entrance.

"Through here." Malfoy said, indicating one of the side doors that lead outside.

"Um, the entrance is that way." I corrected him, pointing in the opposite direction.

"I know that! I'm going outside." He replied, holding the door open for me, "Coming?"

"Malfoy, we're not allowed." I turned to look down the hall, hoping no one seen us.

"Since when do you care if you break a few rules, Granger?" He questioned, leaning casually on the large wooden door.

"That was different." I insisted. He simply raised an eyebrow at me before stepping through the opening. Realizing it was a losing battle, I sighed and stepped through the doorway. There were a few stars out tonight, so it wasn't too dark, but it had gotten very cold. I followed Malfoy down the stone path that ran alongside the castle, stopping when we reached the Green houses.

"So," I began, my curiosity getting the better of me, "what happened that made you look at things differently?" He shifted his gaze from the sky to look at me and chuckled.

"You're not one to beat around the bush are you, Granger?" Immediately, I realized how blunt I had been and began apologizing, a blush spreading over my cheeks.

"Sorry, you don't have to answer that, I didn't mean, I mean I shouldn't have-"

"Granger," He interrupted, laughing at me yet again, "it's alright, I don't mind. It's my father, I don't really agree with some of the things he's doing." He was quiet for a minute. "I don't want to be like him."

Unsure of what to say, I remained quiet. Eventually the cold settled in and I shivered, as the night was becoming colder. After a few minutes I felt something heavy on my shoulders, glancing down I realized Malfoy had taken off his robe and draped it over me.

"Thanks." I whispered. Looking down at me, he smirked before turning his attention back to the sky. I couldn't help but wonder if he wished he was up there, flying right now. Probably. I decided against interrupting the quiet night with my random questions, enjoying the comfortable silence between us. A short while later he tapped my shoulder and suggested we go back inside, I nodded.

He walked me to the Gryffindor Tower, commenting on several of the portraits we passed. Not once since we left the library had things been awkward between us, until we reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Neither one of us were sure of what to say at this point. Taking a chance, I looked up at him, to catch him glancing around nervously.

"Um, goodnight then." I finally managed.

"Uh, yeah, night." He replied, the awkwardness obvious in his voice. With a final nod and a tight smirk he began to walk away. Turning back to the Fat Lady, I was just about to say the password when I heard Malfoy's voice.

"You'll have to come flying with me sometime, Granger. We can't have the brightest witch of the age not able to fly."

"I can fly!" I replied loudly, not able to keep the smile out of my voice.

"Fly well then!" He shouted back before turning the corner, laughing.

Mumbling the password, I stepped into the common room and began climbing the stairs. It wasn't until I reached my dormitory that I realized I was still wearing Draco Malfoy's robe.

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**A/N: Let me know what you think, more reviews = longer chapters. I can't wait to write the next few chapters, I explain just what was in that letter from Draco's father, Zabini becomes more important and Dumbledore finally comes into the picture.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry it took so long for an update, holidays, I'm still recovering....hehe. Anywho, here's chapter 6 (yay), it's not going in the direction I originally had planned but oh well. I might have to change the rating to M though, just to make sure, it's getting kind of touchy. But just so you all know it's going to remain a "lemon" free story, even if at times it really pushing it (sorry about that)**

**Oh, and for any of you that like Twilight fanfics, I just started my new story "Green", you should check it out. **

**Opps, almost forgot this thing. Disclaimer: don't own, no money, yada yada yada and all that.**

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Draco's POV

Next Morning (Sat)

There was an unnatural amount of light filtering in through the large windows of the Great Hall, the brightness making it hard for me to keep my already heavy eyes open. The usual hustle and bustle of the breakfast rush had settled down, only a handful of students remaining when I entered the room, sitting at the end of the Slytherin table, away from any of the lingering students of my house. Occasionally someone would speak to me, only to leave a moment later when I refused to acknowledge them, I was in no mood for company, I was tired and needed time to think.

Pushing the remained of my egg around on my plate with my fork, I rested my head on my left palm, my eyelids dropping slightly. I had spent more hours last night awake then asleep, and the few I had slept I had been dreaming about Granger. The dreams were becoming more vague with each passing hour, but one thing remained clear, Granger's guest appearance. By the time the clock read four a.m. I had given up sleeping all together, at least awake I could control my thoughts to some degree. For hours my mind worked around thoughts of my father, his plans for the future and Granger without success. It was around dawn I decided to officially give up, I was tired of plotting and revenge, I was tired of spending every waking second angry. I had planned to use Granger to piss off my father, while enjoying the entertainment that came with annoying her. Our public interaction would, without a doubt, upset my father, not only would I be mingling with a Mudblood, but I would be ignoring my responsibilities given to me by the Dark Lord. I was tired of keeping everyone at such a distance, living these last few months in isolated hell. I didn't care about this anymore, and my time with Granger was beginning to prove that.

A small smirk pulled at my mouth as I thought of Granger, she had a way of destroying every plan I had made with her presence alone. I was already letting down my guard around Zabini, thanks to her, slowly letting him back in. And just last night, I thought I would go to the library and annoy her, instead I spend the evening laughing and genuinely enjoying her company. It was so easy to forget everything when I was around her, my hatred and bitterness were gone, evaporated.

I stopped pretending she was my distraction, of course she distracted me from my problems, but that's not why I would wait outside the library for her. She's not my friend, I'm not exactly sure what our relationship could be called, the fact that we had any sort of relationship at all was nothing short of a miracle.

Pushing my plate away, I left the table and made my way out of the Great Hall, quickly I walked the halls leading towards the Slytherin dungeon. I had decided last night I would stop thinking and worrying and simply act on impulse for the remainder of my time at Hogwarts, so that's what I was doing, acting on an impulse. Slipping inside, I pocketed the first piece of parchment and quill I saw then left, heading towards the Owlery.

Leaning against one of the bare walls, I quickly scribbled the message:

'Meet me tonight

Quidditch pitch, 8:00

D.M.'

Tucking the quill into my the back pocket of my jeans, I rolled the letter and walked over to one of the school owls.

"Take this to Granger immediately." I instructed the owl, tying the parchment to his leg. Carefully the dark brown owl spread his wings, shaking them slightly before jumping from his perch and soaring out the window. Exhaling deeply, I tuned to the door and casually strolled down the steps and back into the castle. Now,I thought, already becoming bored, I just have to find something to do until eight o'clock.

I spent the remainder of the day locked in my dorm room, fighting through the mountains of homework we had thrust upon us by the end of classes on Friday. Every class seemed to have essays due, some had chapters of reading or pages of questions, just enough so we didn't have one spare moment over the weekend. The thought occurred to me somewhere between my third and fourth essay that, considering I was leaving the school permanently in a few months, I was trying unbelievable hard not to fall behind in any of my subjects.

'Maybe because you're still hoping you won't be forced to leave Hogwarts.' A ghostly voice in the back of my head whispered. Normally I wouldn't have admitted to such a foolish hope, instead insisting I was only doing this as too not bring unwanted attention to my situation, but I simply didn't bother. Immediately I erased the thought from my mind as I lifted the next book into my lap and searching for a fresh piece of parchment.

It was nearing eight by the time the last book was shut, the last piece of parchment written on and the last bottle of ink left empty. Pulling a green hoodie over my head, I grabbed my broom from it's stand beside my bed and left the room, curious as to whether Granger would actually show or not. Dark was falling on the grounds of the school, the last of the sunset peeking over the trees of the Forbidden Forest, most students were now tucked safely away inside the castle walls. After reaching the quidditch pitch and not seeing Granger, I decided to mount my broom, eager to fly after spending so little time in the air. I was flying for what felt like seconds, when I noticed a small dark figure making its way towards the pitch. As I descended, I recognized the wavy brown hair falling over the figure's small shoulders, Granger.

"You came." I stated, my mild surprise not hidden from my voice, as I dismounted my broom only a few feet from her.

"It was either this or have Ronald harassing me for answers." She replied lightly, continuing to walk towards me, leaving less then a foot between us. I simply chuckled, not doubting it was true, while noticing the large blue hoodie she was wearing, displaying a band I'd never heard of, and faded blue jeans.

"So." She began, looking around almost nervously. I chuckled again.

"I told you I was going to fly... _well_." I added, knowing she was going to say she could technically fly already. A small smile appeared on her face, and as though she only just processed what I said, the smile disappeared and her eyes grew wide, darting over the pitch.

"Now?!" She asked in utter disbelief.

"No time like the present." I replied, holding my broom out to her. Looking at her slightly terrified face, I was unable to keep the smirk off my mine. How such a brilliant witch could be so scared of flying, I'll never understand.

Snapping her arms hard against her sides, she shook her head, declining my invitation. Rolling my eyes, I thrust the broom at her again, closer to her body this time. Again she shook her head.

"It's not going to bite, Granger." I said finally, starting to become impatient.

"Of course not, it's just going to drop me fifty feet to my death." She retorted, folding her arms across her chest. Running my hands through my hair, I exhaled, still holding the broom out for her.

"You first." She bargained.

"I already know how to fly _'well_', you twit." I countered, smirking, and before she could reply I added, "Get on the broom, Granger."

She continued to remain immobile.

"You only have to go a few feet of the ground, I'm not expecting you to fly around the castle." I began, pushing the broom into her arms, "Just mount the bloody broom."

Out of my peripheral vision I caught it, the tiny smirk that pulled at the corner of her mouth before instantly disappearing. I felt my eyebrows rise as I considered the unimaginable, was Granger actually capable of having a dirty sense of humor? With an unsuccessful attempt to keep from smirking again, I watched as she swung her left leg over the broom, biting her lip nervously.

"Relax." I instructed her softly, "Now, kick off gently then lean forward slightly." Doing as I said, she began flying forward only a couple of feet of the ground.

"Lean to your right a bit." I said, watching her intently as she began to fly around me in a loose circle. It was some time later that I managed to talk her into flying a little higher and increasing the speed, a few more lessons and she might actually be a decent flyer, I thought, almost proudly. The grounds were in complete darkness, illuminated only by the moon, casting long dark shadows that occupied most of the grassy surface. A chill could be felt on bare skin, though it was undetectable through clothing, the air was cold and crisp as it traveled into my lungs. With a low sigh I brought myself down into a squat, placing one hand on the grass behind me, and lowered myself onto my back. Folding my arms behind my head, I extended my legs as I continued to watch Granger fly around the grounds. Peaceful. It was the only word I could use to describe how I felt tonight. It was strange how so much could be going wrong yet I could just lie here in the grass, feeling, for the first time in my life, peaceful.

It was some time later I heard the rustle of the grass as Granger's feet made contact with the ground, while I remain laying, oblivious as to what time it was. Shifting my gaze from the stars to her amused face I noticed the hand she was holding out to me. Untangling my arms from behind my head I reached out to her, feeling her smooth, warm hand close around mine. Putting most of my weight onto my legs, I threw myself forward, her small frame jerking me upright and thrusting the broom into my chest. Silently I fell into step behind her as she began to make her way back to the castle, never bothering to check if I was following her or not.

"Granger." I said quietly, breaking the silence of the night.

"Hm?" She replied, sounding tired.

"Why did you come?" She didn't answer right away.

Lengthening my strides until I was parallel to her side, I watched as her eyebrows lowered and were drawn together, as though she was concentrating quite hard on the question. She breathed in deeply before exhaling slowly, relaxing the muscles of her face. Slowly, a smile appeared and a lone chuckle escaped her lips. Turning to face me, she shook her head softly, baffled.

"No idea." She finally answered.

Her smile, I soon realized, was infectious, my face mirroring hers. Lazily, my eyes drifted down her small frame, from her voluptuous lips to the soft curve of her jaw, leading down her neck. The small hollows on each side of her neck, accentuated by her collar bone, guided me further down her body, to her chest. Hidden beneath her large sweater, it was difficult to see just how impressive her chest really was. Memories flooded my mind of Granger in the standard button front, white shirt, the top few buttons undone, allowing curious eyes to carefully view a small amount of her developing cleavage. Her pace when walking the halls was quick, the result of walking with the much taller Weasel and Potter, the slight bounce of her chest was not left unnoticed by the approving males. Often when she was studying, she would hunch her shoulders a little, shifting her shirt in the process and exposing the smooth skin confined within her lacy white bra.

Swallowing thickly, my eyes continued traveling down her body, past the thin silhouette of her waist to the soft curve of her hips. Even when she walked now, her hips swayed. I could feel my breath becoming shallow as I stared at her hips, moving back and forth, back and forth. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with the desire to grab them, to feel the soft skin beneath my fingers, to feel her warm flesh against my own. I wanted to feel her lean legs wrapped around my waist, her inner thighs touching my ribs, her calves against my back.

Ripping my gaze from Granger's body I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of the delightful images while attempting to hide my lust filled eyes. I didn't want her in _that_ way, did I? She was physically attractive, no denying that, but did I want her? Was she aware of this sexual tension, or was it all in my mind? Before I could begin to answer, my mental interrogation was interrupted by the sound of her voice.

"Out of breath already? And here I thought Quidditch players were supposed to maintain some sort of physical fitness." She joked, alerting me to my still shallow breathing. Without thinking I turned my head to face her, her eyes locking with my own darkened ones as I heard her quick intake of breath. Already past the point of self control, I gave into lust, pressing my body into hers, quickly snaking my arm around her slender waist, releasing my broom and letting it fall to the ground. Bringing my other hand to her face, I let my thumb rest on her chin, her cheek in my palm as I lightly traced the outline of her jaw. Her eyes were wide, full of surprise and shock, but unmistakable was the hint of hunger and need, greedily I took this as my cue to continue.

I walked her backwards, gripping her tightly in my arms, until her back found the nearby tree and I felt her stiffen momentarily. Immediately my hands began exploring the soft curves of her body as my mouth was brought down to touch hers, the first kiss feather light, our lips hardly brushing. The second was less gentle, I pressed our lips together more aggressively, savoring her sweet taste, reminding me of mints. Slipping my hand under that annoying blue sweater, I let it wander freely over the flesh of her torso while our kissing was rapidly becoming more urgent. Carefully she slid her small hands over my chest, one hand stopping at the collar of my hoodie as he pulled it downward, forcing me closer as the other wrapped around my neck. Gently I ran my tongue over her bottom lip, asking for permission to deepen the kiss which she instantly granted, rewarding me with a low moan as I squeezed her hip, my hand grazing her jeans. With one final kiss I detached our lips, moving mine down her jaw, feeling her chest against mine, her breathing shallow and uneven.

Smiling, I continued to move across her jaw, pausing at her ear for only a moment before proceeding to the hollow between her neck and shoulder. Particularly enjoying that spot, she moaned, her hand fisting itself in my hair while shifting her leg so it was draped slightly over mine, my thigh pressing into her heated center. I, involuntarily, let out a groan as her thigh came in contact with my crotch before giving her shirt a sharp tug, exposing a bit more of her chest. Releasing the hallow of her neck, I let my lips descend, kissing every inch of skin they could reach.

Suddenly her back arched and removed my lips from her skin all together, knowing the point of no return was near, a line we couldn't cross. Placing one final chaste kiss on her lips, I began untangling our bodies, searching her half-hooded eyes. She still looked a bit dazed, as though her mind had not yet fully comprehended what her body was doing, as her eyes became wider, her thoughts clearer, I could see the fear, the slight embarrassment, the shock. Adjusting her hoodie so it lay properly below her neck, I gave her a reassuring smile as I reached from my broom and swung it over my shoulder.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm?" I asked gently, indicating the castle with a nod. At first she only shook her head.

"No, that's alright."she finally managed, her voice shaking slightly. Nodding, I held out my arm, waiting for her to accompany me the last ten feet to the school, wordlessly, we slipped inside.

Instantly I felt waves of exhaustion crash down on me, my lack of sleep becoming obvious as I stifled a yawn. Looking at Granger it was apparent she too had been having trouble sleeping lately, her eyes draining of most emotions, a yawn escaping her still mildly swollen lips. With nothing left to say but good night, I gave her a lopsided, tired grin.

"Night, Hermione." My voice hardly above a whisper, I turned to walk away not waiting for a reply, not catching the look of surprise on her face, not realizing I had called her by her first name.

Automatically I started walking the familiar halls that lead to the Slytherin dungeon, letting my legs carry me as my mind replayed the events of this evening, I had kissed Granger, well, that was putting it lightly. Even more shocking then the act itself was the fact that I enjoyed it, I didn't feel disgusted like I would have just mere months ago, no I thoroughly enjoyed it. Still lost in my mental babbling after I entered the common room, I hadn't noticed the other occupant of the room, perched on the edge of the black leather sofa until the movement of his head caught my eye.

"Zabini?"

He remained quiet, leading me to wonder whether he had heard me or not.

"Blai-" I began, but was instantly cut off by the sound of his voice, which was hardly escaping from between his clenched teeth.

"What in the bloody hell was that?" He asked, his voice seething with anger, his eyes livid.

"What was what?" I questioned, already knowing the answer, though I couldn't help but play dumb, some naive part of me was hoping I had it wrong.

"You and that Mudblood." He spat, disgust dripping off his voice.

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**A/N: Sooooooo what'd ya think???? Let me know, I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by the end of the month**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long, and I know it's short, I apologize for that too. I really am trying to write this, I haven't given up on it, so if I have any readers left, thank you for keeping with me and I really am sorry about the terrible job I've done updating. **

**Anyway, it's short but I hope you think it's good. I just had to get some "stuff" out of the way, the "real" story will begin after this...if I ever get around to writing it...**

**So before I continue to ramble, which I'm known to do, here's chapter 7, dedicated to my ever faithful reader, Hermioneroxx77, thank you for being such a loyal reader, I know I would have never finished this chapter without you!**

**Disclaimer: I just own the idea, nodda else**

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**Chapter 7**

Hermione's POV

Until this very moment, I never realized just how fascinating a slice toast could be. It rested on the fingertips of my right hand, its crispy edges sharp against my skin as I studied the rather large bite I had taken. The row of teeth marks left in the crunchy bread were perfectly rounded, making my parents proud of my symmetrical mouth. Slowly my gaze wondered from the toast to my glass of pumpkin juice, which was sitting only centimeters from my hand as I continued to blatantly ignore my friends. Silently I returned my attention to my toast, growing uneasy under their stares as they sat there, waiting expectantly for an answer. Parting my lips, I exhaled sharply waiting for something, anything to happen that would allow me to postpone my answer.

Silence.

I could never tell them where I actually was last night, they would, for lack of a better word, freak. Lying was also not an option, I had done too much of that to my friends already, which left me with plan C. Avoid answering the question by asking one of my own.

"Why don't you believe I was studying? According to you, that all I do anyway!" I all but shouted, directing the last words towards Ron, who tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress a groan.

"Hermione-" Harry began as I pushed myself away from the table, effectively cutting him off.

"I am allowed to have parts of my life remain private, Merlin knows you all do!" I snapped at the sea of dark and red hair before me. "Just, please...respect that." I left without another word, lowering my head and clutching my books tightly to my chest, unable to lift my eyes from the floor. Silently I moved through the Great Hall, blinking rapidly to keep the tears that were threatening to spill over at bay.

It didn't have to be this difficult, or maybe it did, I don't know. Why couldn't they just accept that I couldn't tell them, why was it so important that they know? A ghostly voice, no louder then a whisper could be heard in the back of my head, reminding me they were just doing this because they cared, that's what friends do. Mentally I shushed the voice, not wanting to hear it anymore.

Irritated, I pushed open the door leading outside with a bit too much force, causing it connect with the brick building rather loudly, the bang catching the attention several people. Blushing profusely I stepped quickly onto the gravel path leading towards the Whomping Willow, a place usually vacant of human life, something I was desperately seeking at this moment.

This was normally when I would retreat to the library, safely hidden behind shelves of books, hidden within walls, where I felt like I could hide from the world. But I didn't want to hide, trapped within the confines of a room, I wanted the wide, open space to breathe and think. Quietly I trudged down the path, thinking about nothing in particular, just basking in the calmness that this area of the grounds usually offered. Crossing the grassy slopes I sat against a young tree, the closest one to the Womping Willow and relaxed into its rough bark. After a couple of deep breaths I tilted my head towards the sky and slowly began shifting through my thoughts.

I simply couldn't avoid Harry and Ron and the rest of the gang forever, but how could I ever make them understand, Draco...things have...he's, ugh. How could I ever expect them to understand this, whatever this is, when I can't even understand it. This left me with one conclusion, figure this all out...somehow.

It was hardly a week ago that this all began, this unnameable thing between Draco and I, that evening in the library.

What happened?

...

_Well, that proved to be highly productive_, I found myself thinking sarcastically, becoming irritated with pretty much everything, as I dropped my head back into the tree. Sighing dramatically, I continued to rack my brain, determined to not leave this spot until I had an answer.

_Yeah, means you've never tired that before._ I mentally snapped at myself. I'm off to a great start.

But it was true, within the past week I had nearly driven myself insane trying to understand how, or even what, was happening. Had I overlooked something, missed something that would suddenly make all this make sense? The same questions circled through my mind again and again, always yielding the same result, more unanswered questions.

Hours must have passed, though it might have been only twenty minutes, who knows how long I sat, slowly twisting blade after blade of long grass between my fingers. Maybe it was because I was becoming too tired to think properly, maybe it was because I had stopped actually thinking about it a while ago or maybe it was because I had inhaled too much pollen, but suddenly an answer came to me. It was a stupid, unbelievable, illogical answer, but it made simplistically perfect sense, I...like Draco. I...care...about him. And, it might just be that...he feels...the same way...about me.

The thought hit me hard in the chest, and I found it almost difficult to breathe for a moment. Could it really be that simple? I could feel the embarrassed smile spread over my face, and I couldn't help but laugh a little, because for such a smart girl I could be so stupid. There was no psychological reason I was being drawn to bad boy Draco, no issue I needed to resolve. I didn't need to talk to a therapist or need a potion to cure what ailed me, I was ,for once, just suffering the casualties of being a teenaged girl. I had been so angry with myself before, convinced it was some hormone induced madness I was experiencing, but really it was just me seeing something more to him, something I liked. Again I chuckled to myself, mesmerized by my own stupidity, when a familiar voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Find something amusing there, Granger?"

To my left, leaning casually against the truck of the tree, was the tall body of Draco Malfoy. Instantly dozens of butterflies seemed to flutter inside my stomach, my breathing becoming slightly irregular as I stared, wordlessly, up at him. I recognized the feeling immediately, it was the same feeling I had every time I saw him lately, only this time I knew what it was. Or maybe I was just finally admitting it, and even if it was only to myself, it still felt...nice.

I continued to gaze up at him a moment longer, admiring the cocked eyebrow as a look of amusement and curiosity captured his eyes. His mouth pulled into his ever famous smirk, while his platinum hair seemed to be in an unnaturally messy state. The white shirt he wore was untucked and slightly wrinkled, a few buttons near the neck were undone, his jeans too, were wrinkled, looking as though he had grabbed them off the floor.

But something about him appeared to be...off. Quietly I sat there, just gazing up at him, not quite able to put my finger on it. What was it? A moment later I replied, the words tumbling softly from my lips as my eyes continued to remain on his face, searching for an unknown answer.

"Something like that." Unable to keep the smile from my voice. Gently he dropped down beside me, resting his back against the tree along with his head, his eyes closed. He exhaled deeply as he let his forearms drape gracefully across knees of his bent legs, and I noticed how dangerously close his arms was to touching my own. The butterflies in my stomach fluttered and my heart raced.

Was this normal, to feel this way after our escapades just last night? Could something as simple as this really have this affect on me? This was all so confusing, and no amount of research could prepare you for something like this. That was the part of all this that I didn't particularly like, actually I down right hated it to be perfectly honest, there was no manual to refer to, no book to explain it, you just had to dive right in and pray to Merlin that you learn to swim. Ugh, bloody hormones.

Somewhere in the midst of my internal rambling Draco had begun talking, I only heard the sound of his voice, the words themselves were lost on me. Once he had stopped speaking he just sat there staring at me, an expectant look upon his face. What in the bloody hell did he want?

Slowly, deliberately, I spoke a single word.

"What?"

He responded immediately with a chuckle, shaking his head lightly before returning his face to mine, a genuine smile on his face.

"You haven't been listening to a thing I've been saying, have you Granger?" The voice did not fit the Draco Malfoy I've come to know, it was to light, good natured and warm, losing the cold, menacing tone I'd become accustomed to.

I liked it.

"Honestly?..." I replied, feeling rather comfortable, almost playful, "No."

Again I was rewarded with a smile, just as genuine as the first, before he continued, "Would you like me to repeat myself or are you just going to ignore me again?"

...

"Granger?"

...

"Granger!"

"Oh, sorry, didn't hear you, what?" I said innocently as I could muster, before breaking into a fit of giggles. Draco just rolled his eyes.

"Ok," I managed when the giggles had mostly subsided "What were you saying?"

But instead of answering me he stood up, pretending to leave, saying if I wasn't going to listen then he might as well be on his way. With a loud groan I reached for his arm, my hands encircling his wrist, giving it a sharp tug. As to be expected, he hardly budged . After whining 'Draco' a couple of times he finally admitted defeat, dropping casually back to the ground.

"So..." I began, actually rather curious as to what he had to say. After casting a weary look in my direction he repeated his earlier words, taking less time then before, probably worried I would interrupt again.

"The 'Nerd Herd' has been looking everywhere for you. Why not tell them where you were going, Granger?" I was a bit surprised to see the look of curiosity and confusion on his face, appearing to be more interested in my answer then I would have thought. Then again, why someone would disappear and not tell her best friends where she was going could be seen as a rather odd thing to do.

"We had a bit of a disagreement, I needed time alone." I replied quietly, suddenly finding it difficult to look him in the eye.

"Disagreement about what exactly?" He lowered his voice, losing all traces of amusement as he leaned towards me ever so slightly. I paused.

"You ask a lot of questioned." I said lightly, effectively avoiding the answer I wasn't looking forward to giving. He chuckled at my response.

"Maybe," He began, shifting around on the earthy floor until he with hardly an inch between us, his relaxed posture returning, "But you do a terrible job of answering them."

Silence.

It wasn't an awkward silence, rather like he was allowing me time to collect my thoughts. A moment later I raised my eyes from the ground and followed the long frame of his body upwards, finally resting on his face where I saw him raise his eyebrow a fraction of an inch. As much as it seemed he had changed, he was still Draco Malfoy and eventually his patients would run thin.

"They wanted to know where I was last night." I finally admitted, seeing a flash of understanding in his eyes. "I had no idea what to tell them, I don't want to lie but..." I let the remaining words sit in my mouth, not needing to speak them aloud.

Suddenly I turned my head, something catching the furthest corner of my eye.

A hand?

Draco's hand?

I sat quietly for a moment, eyebrows pushed together in concentration, my mind turning at a million miles an hour.

Was...was Draco about to...to put his arm around me? Suddenly my heart felt as though it were about to explode from my very chest.

Sure he had touched me before, in some very...intimate ways, but those were lust filled actions, something you could expect from him. But what he was about to do, or what I thought he was about to do, was so unlike him, so caring, considerate. To embrace someone with the sole reason being to offer comfort.

I turned to him, preparing to continue with the remainder of my answer when I saw it, what had been making him appear 'off' all day.

"Draco, what happened to your face?"

* * *

**A/N: Soooo what did ya think? For a smart girl Hermione can be so dumb, but at least she finally realized she's not crazy, just falling in love. So this story isn't about them falling for each other, it's about what they do once they're together so basically it's just getting started. **

**Please review, I love this story but I would really like to know what you all think, even if you don't like it that's ok, but is there anything I can do to improve? Reviews really do affect the way I write, so if you really like HSG, please review and I might actually start updating again lol.**

**Thank you for reading!**


	8. Temporarily On Hiatus

Unfortunately this is not a new chapter but a terrible author's note.

I know, I know, I hate seeing these things too, I always get excited hoping for a new chapter.

Anyway, this is just to let everyone who is interested in this story know that I haven't abandoned it, though it may look like it sometimes.

Actually what I've decided to do is not post any new chapters until I have this fanfic finished or almost finished. I'm doing this with my other fanfic "Green" as well, for any of you that are reading that.

Posting chapter by chapter obviously isn't working for me, I'm terrible at updating and, even though it may not look it, this upsets me greatly. I'm always hitting writers' blocks or am too exhausted from work to stay up typing.

So sorry to anyone hoping for a new chapter, I really do hope you will continue to read this fanfic when I start posting again (I'll post a new chapter a couple times a week means they're already done). I hope you realize I'm doing this mostly for you, my readers, because you deserve a story that has regular updates, which is why I'll never post another story before completing it.

Thanks to everyone for your interest in this story, I hope it won't take me long to start posting again, I have a break coming up soon so I'll get a lot written then.

Again, sorry for doing this (hopefully I won't lose many readers) and thank you for your interest.

-Redkin040

(I'll be replacing this with a new chapter when I begin reposting)


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